The Nutrient: Verdauungsspaziergang and blood sugar, News addiction, Running at 100
Research
When you sit or lay down after you eat a meal, especially a meal high in carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels and insulin levels go up. This is part of the reason why 1 in 10 American's have diabetes, and why 1 in 3(!) Americans have prediabetes (the alarming part of this statistic is that most of these people don't know they are trending toward disease, despite it being a simple blood test to diagnose).
This meta-analysis looked at the effect that standing or light walking has on lowering blood sugar, insulin, and blood pressure after eating. Researchers found that when to compared to sitting after meal, just 2 or more minutes of walking significantly reduced blood sugar.
Verdauungsspaziergang is a German word used to describe a walk that you take to help you digest your food. We don't have a word for that in the US, which is why this is an American problem, and not a human problem, so I suggest from now on we adopt the phrase "post-prandial prowl" to encourage movement after meals. Thoughts?
Takeaway
It only takes 2 minutes of walking after a meal to lower your blood sugar back to normal levels. Even standing after a meal was better for your blood sugar than sitting. This quick trick is relevant for both treating and preventing type 2 diabetes, which is a problem for most Americans. If you're wondering if you are part of the 33% of us with prediabetes, then I recommend you find a doctor to measure your hemoglobin A1c, which will give you a three month average of your blood sugar levels. Then take a post-prandial prowl.
News
News addiction linked to not only poor mental wellbeing but physical health too, new study shows
People are developing an obsessive urge to constantly check the news, which leads to more stress, anxiety, and overall poor physical health. Here's a question to see your level of attachment: “I find it difficult to stop reading or watching the news." A 'yes' might mean it's time to tune-out for a few days.
Podcast
For those of you who feel like it’s too late or you’ve missed the boat on being an athlete, this guy’s marathon career didn’t even kick into high gear until his 60’s—40 years ago!
Words of the week
"I used to think coffee was a grown-up drink. Then I thought alcohol was a grown up drink. Now I have finally achieved full enlightenment to understand that it is water that is the grown-up drink." –@98fireball
Enjoy your weekend.
Dr. Rondo
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